


Sweet Pea - Mccree x Fem!Tiny!Reader

by A_Raven



Series: Little Darling [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Borrower Reader, Cute, Eventual Fluff, F/M, Female Reader, Flirting, Fluff, Reader Insert, Slow Burn, borrower au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:33:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26612260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Raven/pseuds/A_Raven
Summary: Borrowers were revealed to the human world around the turn of the century. Humans took advantage where they could, chances for money were taken at the expense of borrower lives. When omnics rose up and gained their own freedom, they went to fight for others as well. Fighting for borrowers wasn't easy but it did eventually happen.You're the grand-daughter of one of the biggest borrower activists that earned the rights for your kind. You live in isolation though, choosing to live among humans, and after so many years, you're beginning to question it was the right choice.
Relationships: Jesse McCree/Reader
Series: Little Darling [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1935949
Comments: 7
Kudos: 29





	1. First Meetings

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a lot of just my experiances and my personality, if thats not ur cup of tea im sorry, hope it was at least a good read so far
> 
> Leave a comment and let me know how you liked it, or if you have any ideas of where to go with this. Thanks for reading so far.

The world is harsh, nothing is ever kind, and nothing ever truly will be naturally kind. There is a fight for survival, that only diminished slightly over time as humans became more evolved. Though even in this day and age, people still fight when for survival in fear, even though there is nothing to fear. 

Borrowers had been discovered as a miniature race, very equivalent to the human race on almost every level except size. Humans, even in their own race or even in their created race of Omnics, had shown that differences are either something to be feared or something to control. For many years after borrowers were discovered and the word of their existence had spread the world, borrowers were treated like lesser beings. 

The first few years of their shown existence was a hell on Earth. Captured and taken to breeding camps where they were sold as pets, or even in more loosely lawed countries. Food. It wasn’t until the end of the first omnic crisis, that the omnics, who had just barely earned their own rights, began to fight for the rights of others who didn’t even have a chance to fight back due to their own sizes. 

It began as protesting, but the peaceful protesting fell on deaf ears. The omnics who saw these beings that deserved rights just as much as they did, became enraged the more they saw these tiny beings, defenselessly treated like animals. With the help of some passionate organizations, and quite a rally of humans to now join their cause, they were able to start raiding breeding centers and save hundreds of thousands of tiny people. 

It wasn’t long after that the borrowers, as the race was fully dubbed after their nickname when they were a mere myth, had gained a leader for them. A woman that went to work with the omnics and humans to create an android like mech, human looking in every way, identical to herself, so that she could go, she could speak to humanity on a level that they may respect. 

It took many more months of peaceful protesting and even many speeches from the borrower representative herself, but it was done. With the help of even Overwatch in the end of the conflict, borrowers were given their rights. As given reparations for the years of horrible treatment, it was commissioned that each borrower alive and descendants were to be given an android mech if they wished for it. Those that didn’t want them would be given reparations in form of home, land specifically given to the borrowers for them to live on, to be untouched by humans, but protected by them from a distance. 

That was all so long ago. 15 years or so now. It was hard to forget the history that you were raised through. You were a few years old, born within one of the final breeding camps. Every day it felt like you would wake up and just think about how life then had become. It almost felt like you had been reborn into a new life when the breeding camp you lived at was raided. The day your cage had been picked up by someone, a human from what you had to guess. It was hard to tell because their entire being seemed to block out the light. Everything was moving so fast. 

You remember how confused and scared you were. But when someone explained that you had been saved, it was an immeasurable amount of relief you felt, because the cage you and your family had been in, was a food cage. You had been 10, nearly the age where you would be prime for selling. The ripe harvest as humans had it coined. 

Your grandmother was the woman who went on to get the first android/mech body, and went to fight for the rights of all borrowers. Your family soon separated, having different opinions on humans and trying to live among them. Perhaps you had been too hopeful at first, when you turned 18 and chose to have a mech, wanting to live ‘normally’ in this massive world. Have an air of normalcy. 

You moved out and have lived alone for the last 15 years. It’s been very hard. Nothings been easy. You’ve been working a minimum wage job at a chained supermarket. Everyday melded together and you only knew you were tired. Such high hopes for a brighter future. Dreams you thought you could get done. 

The only issue was the continued major problems with things laws couldn’t control. Others peoples opinions and actions. There were quite a number of humans who didn’t agree that borrowers were people still. They knew how to target borrowers in their android mech, each mech to still differentiate humans from borrowers had bright purple eyes. 

There were such hurtful and hateful people in the world, people that would go out of their way to say things to you in public when they say you. Even physically harm you if they thought they could get away with it. Most of the time they did get away with it. 

Thankfully you weren’t really injured yourself, your mech was useful for taking the blows, but at this point in your life you were just saving up money for the next time you would need to get a repair done to it.    
  
Today was just another average day. Living in a southern more desert town in Arizona. A small town really, so on the days that you would specifically be targeted, it wasn't like anyone would really notice or care. You could never get the money to get out anyway. You never had the money to do so, and you believed you never would. 

You had been at work for a few hours now, working the fabric department, but since no one really went there or needed help you found yourself working almost every area of the store. Currently you were working on moving items from the back of the shelves to the front in the grocery section, making sure everything was facing the right way. Just trying to make it easier for customers to get what they needed. 

You were abruptly interrupted from the task at hand when you heard the voice of your manager yell your name. You turned, looking at him just sent a chill down your spine. He was an older man, probably his mid 60s. He was indeed one of those hurtful, hateful people that tried to mistreat you any chance he could. He was averaged height for a human man, so he was taller than the set model height of your android mech of 5 foot. He had dark brown eyes that were nearly black, his mouth turned down in a near permanent frown. He spoke your name with a spiteful tone. 

“We don’t have anyone stocking the front in seasonal. Be done here and take the cart from the back.” His words coming out as a command. 

You gave a nod, dusting your hands off on your work vest before starting your way past him and towards the back room. You could feel his eyes boring into you until you went past the doors and towards the backroom on the other side where all the pallets were kept from unloading the trucks. 

There next to a nearly full pallet of seasonal goods to put out on the shelves next to a large metal cart that was also filled with boxes. There were a lot of boxes that at first glance had big things in them, so you knew it was going to be difficult. With a tired sigh and dragging out each step you took the handles of the cart and began to tug it out to the sales floor. 

You despised the holidays, it always brought more people into the store no matter what holiday it was. More people meant more eyes. Boring into you, judging, hating.. It was best to keep your head down and hope people didn't get a chance to see the color of your eyes. Every day when things become harder, you wondered if the ‘freedom’ of seeing the world was worth this abuse. 

You wondered if you were allowed to change in your want, to give up being able to live among humans to just live hopefully happier than you were living now. But.. the last time you trusted your heart at a hope for a happy life.. It brought you here. You didn’t know if you could trust yourself again. 

“Woah there, gotta watch where you're going there.” A southern drawl came suddenly, only then did you feel the slight resistance against your cart. Luckily you weren’t pushing it too hard or fast, but someone had caught you before you ran it into a display in the center of an isle. 

Your eyes looked up, peeking through your bangs to the person who had so kindly kept you from getting in trouble. He was a decently tall man, he wore a plaid shirt that stood out greatly in the normal bleak wear of the normal customer in your store. Also despite living in a rural desert town, you don’t think you had ever seen anyone more looking like an old west cowboy until now. He had a leather hat, old worn jeans, and a pair of leather boots that to your absolute surprise when your eyes trailed downward on instinct, you could see that he actually had spurs on them. 

“I-.. I’m so sorry sir. I’ll be sure to watch where I walk from now on.” You mumble out without looking up. 

If he saw your eyes and noticed what you were, he didn't say anything about it. Only a soft chuckle and the soft clink of the spurs as he shifted his stance. His thumbs looped into the belt loops of his pants. From your eyes in their remaining downward positions you could see that one of his hands was mechanical. Something that wasn't very common, you had definitely seen others with similar prosthetics, but it was still interesting.

“Gonna be kinda difficult if ya keep your eyes glued to the floor, don’t cha’ think darlin?”

Your body tensed a bit, hands tightening around the cart handle. Glancing up through your hair again, you could see the man looking at you. Though where the usual customer of who would stop you, would berate you and say rude things, you were surprised to see the usual malaise in a humans eyes was replaced with almost a humorous smirk. His brow was raised as he waited for your response.

“I-..” Before you could continue you caught sight of your boss across the store. Even with the distance you could tell he was looking at you. The familiar chill and fear washed over you as you now lost any words you were about to say. “I’m just trying to stay out of trouble sir.”

You pulled your cart away from the obstacle in the middle of the walkway and the stranger. “If you need any assistance, I’ll be in the fall seasonal section upfront sir. Thank you for shopping with us today.” 

Your head was still turned down as you started down the isles to the thanksgiving and Halloween section. The rest of the day went by as normal. You took the last 6 hours to finish the one pallet you were given. It was probably a better day of work. Customers when they saw you were busy with something would only come to you to ask you where something was and not specific help with something. Any day where you were given something to do was better than mulling around and trying to do anything that looked like it needed to be done.

By the end of the night you had the Halloween and fall section looking great with brand new items on the shelves, and thankfully when you saw your boss at the end of the night he didn’t say anything if he was mad for you talking with that cowboy. So you took the blessing and didn’t bring it up either. 

Going home was exhausting in itself, you walked to and from work, even in an android mech that was still you walking. And it was a long walk, around a 45 minute walk from your house. You didn't drive due to laws against borrowers not being able to safely drive, and you learned early on a lot of issues arose from trying to take a bus, and you didn’t bother with any form of being taxied, having been turned down before the second someone saw your eyes. So you walked, and hoped no people that despise your existence were out at night. 

Getting to your one room studio apartment you practically collapsed onto your futon couch, well sort of. You were hesitant to ever leave your mech, so almost all of your possessions you needed were in it, you would just set your mech up on the couch, then ‘sleep it’. Then you would begin your actual night inside the chest cavity of the mech. It was almost like a small room inside of it. Most of it was used for when it was in use, it required a lot of space to use when it was ‘awake’. But around the inside of it, you had everything you really needed to live. It was almost a modern, hermit, borrower lifestyle. You used all the old borrower lifestyles before humans had found out of their existence. You bought toothpicks to use as firewood to use in a small wood burning stove, using that to heat the ‘room’ at night and cook food. Keeping everything in your mech nailed down so it wouldn't move around when you were moving. Or if you happened to fall or move too quickly, that nothing would fly around and hurt you. 

You felt safe in your mech. You had every necessity you needed in your mechs head. A small bathroom, a hammock you could put up and use for your bed, a little storage compartment to keep food, then your stove and ‘fire wood’.Some humans would wonder why you would bother getting an apartment if you already had a home in your mech. The apartment was just a protected place to put your mech when you weren’t using it. You didn't trust to just let it sit in the middle of the street. 

Turning off your mech you took off your tracking suite, and went to bathe. A quick shower and another skipped meal later you went to lay down to sleep. You were out like a light, far too tired from your day of work. But on the bright side you had the next few days off. This would be a good time for you to send out some packages you had, and buy some new work clothes for your mech. 

The morning was hard, you wanted nothing more than to just go back to sleep. But you woke, groaning and popping more bones in your body than would sound healthy. With an exhausted huff you stood up and went to get your tight tracking suit back on and walked onto the hard light pad. Turning the mech back on from the switches around the tracking surface. You pulled the VR like headset down from the ceiling compartment and slipped it onto your head, blinking as the blinding light from around the room was taken in. As the mech woke up, the sensors around the body began to simulate and imitate the immediate area around you with hard light objects of exact replica on the pad. 

This is how you were able to interact with the world like humans would. The mech would do all the calculations and simulate what everything for a human looked like on a much smaller scale in your head. You flexed your fingers, looking down at your new view through the mech at your hands. A huff simulated from your own breaths coming from the mech as your mech stood to match your movements inside. 

Without much hesitation left, the only hard part was getting out of bed, you grabbed now changed the clothing of your mech from work wear into an everyday outfit. You only had three or four outfits for this thing, and the only work one was becoming well worn. It took quite a bit longer for your clothing to get worn down. You didn't sweat or anything like that, so you only had to wash them when they became dirty. But these work clothes were about two years old now, so it was time to toss them and get a new pair. 

Taking the packages you were sending in your arms you began to head out of your apartment. You lived somewhat closer to the outer edge of your town, so the walk from your apartment to the middle of the town where the post office and all the local stores were. The packages were pretty heavy, holding things that you bought to send to your family far away. Things that were easier for you to afford while working for humans. So the two decently large boxes you had were enough to stack over your head so it was hard to see. You stumbled a bit, nearly tripping on things that your mechs scanners could really pick up when you had things directly in front of them with the boxes. 

A decent way into town your footing caught on something in the sidewalk and you began to tumble forward. Before you could even react to your own falling you felt two hands on either of your arms that were around the boxes, helping steddy you and bring you back up to your feet.

“Fancy seein’ you again darlin’.” A now familiar southern voice chuckled. Your eyes peeked up with bafflement when one of your large boxes was taken from the top, leaving you to finally be able to properly see. The same cowboy man was there, the only real difference was the look of a bedhead barley hidden by his hat, and a new brown plaid shirt and red shawl over his shoulder. “Seems I run into ya when you don’t watch where yer goin’. Could I offer ya hand?”

You weren’t really sure how to respond, it wasn’t that kindness was a foreign concept to you. But this level of kindness was indeed alien to you. No one in your town had ever been this kind to you, the most you ever got was an uneasy smile and asking how your day has been. No one had ever actually gone out of their way to help you when you needed it. 

“If you want to you can…” You say after a moment, still taken aback by this strange cowboy. 

“I don’t see why I wouldn’t wanna help a pretty gal like yourself.” The human chuckled with a warm smile to pull at his lips. “Ya just taking these to the post office right?”

You gave a nod and he began to lead the way, leading you to fast walk to keep up with him until you were walking side by side. 

“It’s really something runnin’ into ya again after last night. Kinda glad I did, wanted to talk more but it seemed you were busy with yer work.” You gave another silent nod to the man’s attempt to continue a form of conversation. Hearing him give a hum and seeing his brow raise from the corner of your eye lead to you to feel a tad self continuous. You never really had people to talk with before. No friends, and your family barely kept in touch with you, coworkers were more hell than good company. 

“What’s yer name darlin’?” He asked, continuing to try and make some form of conversation. You just didn’t understand. Why did he care? You were just a borrower. But you gave in quite easily, the desperate plea in you that wanted so badly to have a friend, something in your life that wasn't just every day of absolute nothing until something painful happened. But.. you were still scared to trust anyone, you’d never done that before. 

“(Y/N).” You mutter softly, almost a whisper really, arms tightening around the box you were holding as if it was a security blanket in your time of anxiety. 

The cowboy seemed pleased by this as he grinned. “Pleasure to meet ya dear. Feel free to call me Jessie.”

The silence to follow was short lived as the cow boy kept talking. 

“So sending’ these packages the only thing you're doing while you're out?” He asked, an almost hopeful hint to his voice, as if the question was leading up to something else he wanted to ask.

You weren’t sure what to do, you needed new clothing. But you didn't know what he wanted, if anything at all. So on first instinct you fibbed.

“No, well… I didn’t have anything planned anyway.” Your words felt weak coming out of your own lips. You felt nervous, like this was some sort of ploy to just make you feel safe before they got to hurt you in any way. Just to make it hurt more. But the hope from before stayed surface, a small chance that you wouldn’t be lonely. So you couldn’t help the single word question that followed. “... Why?”

The man beamed, a bright grin. “Glad ya asked, was wonderin’ if you would be interested in goin’ out for coffee? My treat.”

Was he?.. No. He couldn’t possibly be asking you out on a date. Maybe he didn’t know you were a borrower. There were some people that didn’t always check eye color, or just happened to forget that borrowers did choose to take mechs sometimes. 

Going to eat anywhere in public also meant getting out of the mech to eat or drink, while also hoping the said shop accommodated for borrowers, which most didn’t. You didn’t feel safe leaving your mech alone at home, let alone getting out of it in a public area with a person you just met. The best answer would be an honest one if you wanted to try and still make a friendship if there was any actual chance of that. You took an uneasy breath as you prepared your words.

“It’s.. a really kind offer.” You stared, already seeing the drop of smile the cowboy gave from the corner of your eye. Not entirely gone, he was still smiling, just not as widely, and his eyes didn't seem as bright as before. You continued, a bit of sadness in your own voice. “I-.. I’m just not very comfortable with eating in public.” 

His features softened a bit, an expression that even got you to actually look up at him. “I understand, the world ain’t been too kind to borrower folks. I wouldn’t be too comfortable in yer position either thinkin about it now.”

So he did know you’re a borrow. That somehow didn’t clear much up for you, still on the fence whether this man could be trusted like you hoped he could be. 

“I should actually go work clothes shopping today- But, if you want to, like, talk in the future or something… or hang out… I could give you my number?” The words out of your mouth were a struggle to say, not knowing how these interactions usually went. 

Getting to the post office Jessie easily balanced the package in one hand and held the door open for you. You shuffled in first and walked to the counter and sat the packages down. Jessie hadn’t given you an answer, so you went through with paying for the shipping on both boxes before turning to Jessie, his grin wider than ever. 

“I think I’ll take you up on that offer.” 

Your eyes looked around for something to write your phone number down on only to find just a pen on the counter. Borrowing the pen you looked around for paper only to look sheepishly at the cowboy.

“Do you have a piece of paper?”

“Here, just write it here darlin.” He said holding out his hand, palm up for you to write on. 

Thankfully your mech couldn’t blush when you did, cause you could feel the rosiness that came to your cheeks. You gently pulled Jessie’s hand over, much larger than even your mechs, and jotted down your number into the calloused skin.

Jessie took a look over at the phone number on his hand before giving you a rather charming smile and a wink. “I’ll be in touch.”

You watched, hearing the clink of his spurs as he walked out of the post office, giving you a wave as he stepped out. You couldn’t help but give the smallest wave in return as he disappeared. 

-

The next few days were nerve wracking to say the least. Waiting for a call or text was near painful. You even began to have trouble sleeping, staying up and looking at your phone through the vr eyes of your mech, wishing you could lay in your hammock, but stuck looking at your phone. Wondering if he really was just playing with you now. Toying with your feelings.

You had just closed your eyes, prepared to sleep on the hard light version of your futon in your mechs head when you heard your phone ring. Your eyes opened wide as you quickly swiped open your phone to see a new text from an unknown number. 

‘ _ hi there darling sorry it took me so long to get back to you. been gone for a few days on a business trip. back now tho, how have ya been’ _

You felt a strange warmth wash over you. It was almost midnight, you really should have been in bed, but you were too excited, he was actually texting you back. 

**‘** **_Hi, its nice 2 hear from u again. Ive been ok, how have u been?_ ** **’**

For a moment you panicked, thinking maybe you had replied too fast. Was that weird? Did You seem too eager?

‘ _ been doin alright myself, bit tired after traveling around.’ _

You bit your lip unsure really of how to respond, it was open ended. No real way to respond. A minute passed and you were afraid of what to do, should you just respond with anything? Ask about his work? Try to get to know him more? Ask if he wanted to hang out in person some time? What would you guys do? 

You didn’t know if you were ready to go over to anyone's home, or have him come to yours. You weren't really equipped at home to accommodate a human in your apartment. You had basic things like what the apartment came with but no food or anything that he might want. Luckily he sent a message before you could panic more over it. 

‘ _ So, since i dont want to take you out of your comfort zone, what types of things do you like to do?’ _

**_‘What do u mean?’_ **

_ ‘Like for fun? Any places you like to go?’ _

You paused having to really think it over, you… didn’t know of any places that you think you would like to go. Or really anything at all. Any day off you just used to catch up on sleep or do any chores you had to do. So things for fun never really came up. 

**_‘This might sound odd,I dnt rly kno. Mostly work.’_ **

‘ _ Thats alright darlin, I got a couple of places in mind I think you would like just gotta know if you wanna go someplace more exciting or relaxed.’ _

You hummed in thought, tapping your fingers against your phone.  **‘** **_Mayb relaxed is better to start?’_ **

‘Alrigh, just let me know a time and a place.’

Today was sunday, you worked tomorrow and the next few days, so..

**_‘M free on wednesday, anytime is gud’_ **

_ ‘Great, you can send me ur address and I can pick you up around noon?’ _

Your cheeks flushed a bit as you couldn’t help but smile widely. You felt so giddy, even if this was a one time thing. If the date went south and you never saw him again. You could at least say that you had gone on a date now. Your first one. 

**_‘Yeah, sounds good’_ **

  
  
  



	2. Games and Explanations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jessie takes you out on your first date, it's not what you were expecting, but you love it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a shorter chapter but I wanted to get this out before i procrastinated even more.

The days leading up to Wednesday went by fast. To your own surprise Jessie continued to message you through those days. He began to learn your schedule a bit, nexting you around the time you would get off work and ask if you made it home safely. Even asking if you wanted a ride home. While it was a very kind offer, you did deny at least for now. You weren’t fully sure if you could trust Jessie, and feeling like meeting up with him in daylight would be safer.

Your untrusting nature was being broken down slowly by the overwhelming kindness the cowboy would show. The simple fact that he seemed to care and think about you enough to message you, to ask you how your day was and to make sure you were safe. It was something that hasn’t ever happened to you. Even your own family stopped checking in soon after you moved out.

When Wednesday finally came you were overwhelmed the morning of. Sleeping in a bit because it wasn’t a work day, you woke up a few hours before Jessie was going to pick you up. Going to your closet of things that you could dress your mech in you became nervous. There wasn’t a lot to choose from. 

You had your work clothes and that was about it. A few t-shirts you had gotten for free from your work, but they were more of pajama clothing with how oversized they were. You didn’t own any particularly nice clothing, you had never expected to be asked out on a date before. You stood in front of your small hall closet that housed almost everything you own, and stared at the very few articles of clothing you owned. 

Your eyes went to your phone.. 10:50am. You had roughly an hour before he got here. Tapping your foot you took out two of the larger shirts and got to work, taking it over to the small kitchen counter and pulling out a sewing kit. 

Over the next 40 minutes you spent frankinsteining the two shirts together into a somewhat decent looking sundress. The entire thing was white, but you were decent at hand sewing things despite never having really had anyone teach you You spent the last few minutes trying to make your hair look decent which was somewhat of a mess. Years of abuse to your mech had left your hair to be a frustration at best. You decided to simply pull it back into a braid, and leave it at that. 

A few minutes until noon you decided to wait outside your apartment complex, having already texted Jessie your address that morning. You had a small backpack of things that were just in case or things you would need when you left. A small backpack with your wallet and other necessities. 

Your hands clutched to the backpack straps for dear life, growing anxiety, wondering what Jessie had in store for you both today. Your eyes stayed looking down, avoiding the gaze of people passing by as you waited. Soon the roar of an unfamiliar engine caught your attention, looking up you could see the cowboy in question riding on a red motorcycle. He pulled up before you, he must have seen your wide eyes because he chuckled. 

You had never really thought of your attraction to others, never giving it a second thought before now. But the more you got to see Jessie, the more you began to think that if you didn’t have a type before, buff cowboy just might fit the bill. He wore the same plaid shirt from the day you met, this time with the same red shawl from the last time you saw him. He kept the rest of his outfit relatively the same, brown pants, cowboy boots complete with actual spurs, and that massive hat. You couldn't help but wonder how it stayed on his head when he rode his bike. 

“You look beautiful, darlin’.” He commented. You could feel the heat rise to your cheeks. 

“I- uh thanks, you look really nice too.” You say, stumbling over almost every word. 

He chuckled again, a warm laugh that made you smile a bit. He leaned back and grabbed something that was hooked into the back of the motorcycle, leaning forward again he held out an older style helmet for you. It was very rounded and a plain brown color, looking like it even had leather accents to it. 

“Wear this, I trust my own drivin', its other people I worry about, don’t want nothin’ to happen ya in there.” He explained with a wink when you took the helmet. You felt your voice catch in your throat, nodding slowly as you slipped the helmet over your head and struggled with the clasp for a second before it clicked on under your chin. 

Jessie then shifted forward on the bike and held out his robotic hand for you to take. Hesitantly you did so, gently he pulled you forward and helped you get settled behind him on the bike. He moved your arms to be wrapped around his middle. With how short your mechs arms were, this made it so your front was flush against his back, your cheeks completely rosy, not used to this level of closeness with anyone. But you were willing to get used to it with how you didn’t mind it now. 

“Hold on tight now, (Y/N).” He nodded back to you, and in an instant you were off. At first it was rather scary, you didn’t like vehicular transportation, so you weren’t even used to riding in cars, let alone a bike. On instinct you hid your face against Jessie’s back, arms as tight as you could physically hold around his middle. 

It was only after a few seconds had passed that you gathered enough bravery to peek up, eyes now wide as you watched the world pass so quickly around you. Your hair flying behind you as he drove you across the town. The brightest smile spread on your face, watching sparse clusters of buildings pass. Even the dull and dead looking desert landscape seemed more thrilling and beautiful when passing by it so quickly. 

You were almost sad when the bike began to slow down when Jessie pulled up to a familiar sight. At least you had seen this place before, you had never been inside of it. It was a bowling alley and arcade place. A smile quirked on your lips, this definitely was not what you were expecting for your first ever date in your mid 20s. You weren’t sure what you had been expecting, just definitely not this. 

The bike came to a stop and Jessie helped you off the bike and unclasped the helmet for you before storing it back on the side of the bike. Getting off the bike himself you could see quite the grin radiating off the southern man, looking quite excited to have taken you here. 

“What do ya think, darlin’? Don’t worry, it’s not too crowded in there, nobody really comes here too often anymore, so it’ll be quiet just like ya wanted.”

“I think it’s amazing… I’ve never been to an arcade, I’m.. excited?” You say, the ending sounding more like a question, because if you were honest you weren’t sure. All you could tell is that you felt jittery and nervous, which you could assume was about what excitement felt like. 

Jessie laughed motioned for you to follow him, holding out his hand for you to hold. “Then common’ now.”

You took his hand, his hand almost entirely enveloping yours in a comforting kind of way. You smiled as you followed beside the tall cowboy who led you in through the front double doors to an absolutely massive area of arcade. You knew the premise of what an arcade was, it was a place where you could go to pay to play games. But that was about it. 

You also never imagined it would be this massive. It was two stories, Jessie had informed you that the top games were where all the people who tried hard to get high scores at games went. What he wanted to take you too was downstairs. 

Going down stairs with him you were met with an equal amount of a lot of games, but these ones were different, instead of things where you would sit to try and play to beat or get a high score, these just felt different. 

“These are all the games you can win tickets from to get prizes.” Your date explained, leading you through many odd looking lines of games to a section that was much different. There were lines of large machines, each with larger stuffed animals, and some with what looked like figurines of different cartoons and anime. Jessie explained how you needed a charged card to play any of the games. 

This made you worry a bit, you didn’t have a lot of disposable income. You looked down in thought. You might be able to buy a little bit of whatever points you needed to play. 

**__________**

  
  


When we got into the arcade it was a bit sad that I wasn’t surprised she was a bit confused on how things worked in an average arcade. She didn’t seem to know a lot about the world other than her job. It broke my heart in all honesty to see that the outside world was a lost place to her, a terrifying place at that. No one should have to live like that. 

The moment I brought up having to pay for the arcade she seemed a bit concerned, staring off into space, probably doing some form math in her head to see if she had enough money to even pay for any credits to use. I couldn't help but smile, and move my hand up to pat her head. I watched her blink, probably shocked at the contact, and looked up to me. 

“Don’t ‘cha worry about it darlin, I wouldn’t have taken ya here if I wasn’t prepared to spoil ya a bit.”

Her brows furrowed a bit as she opened her mouth to protest but I tugged her hand and began to pull her towards a machine to buy and refill the arcade cards. “I won’t be hearin’ any of it darlin, commer.”

I heard her huff a bit beside me as I pulled out my own wallet and began to buy a card for her. I wasn’t expecting to play anything unless she wanted me to win her something, everything else was her to play. So I put a good amount of money on a card that was spit out from the machine and held it out to her. 

She stared at it for a second before she slowly reached out to take it, looking back at all the possibilities and seeming a bit overwhelmed. I smiled softly, understanding that it’s probably still a bit much and gently took her hand. 

“Common, lets go have some fun, darlin’.”

I kept her close as we began to trail through all the machines, her eyes looking between each one we passed, we slowed for a moment. I followed her eyes to a claw machine that had a very round cat plush, pink and white patterns on it, the tag was called a milkshake cat. She looked very interested in it, but confused on what was needed to do. 

“You like that one?”

She gave the smallest nod and that was all I needed to lead her over to the machine. The claw style machines at these arcade were a bit different. They were more akin to Japanese arcades in a way they worked, I only knew of this place from the few times Genji had taken me here. Not this exact place, it was a chain of arcades that had been spreading across America for a while. Genji had liked it during the black watch days because he said it reminded him of a better time. 

With the machines here being different they were not just your average claw machines, these ones had different things you had to accomplish. Like this one, to win the prize, you just had to have the claw scoop up some ping pong balls and hope they dropped into a little tray on the correctly colored indents. Thankfully it wasn’t the hardest one of these machines. 

“Do you wanna try to win it first?” I asked, wanting her to have some fun experiences here, after all it was the whole point of why I took her here. 

“I.. want to try, but.. I’m not sure if i can do it.. I don't want to waste your money..” Her voice mumbled out in a near squeak. She was by far the cutest thing I've seen in a long while, near melting my heart without even trying. 

“I’ll help ya out then, we can do it together.” I say, patting her on the back. She seemed a bit more at ease and gave a small nod, leaning down to scan the card.

The game started up and I helped her learn the controls, working together to adjust the claw over the little bowl of ping pong balls and let it drop to scoop them up. It was up to fate weather it grabbed none balls up to three balls. Most of the time it at least give you one or two. 

It took three or four tries before we won it. Each time the claw would go down she would do the most adorable little stepping in place, hands clutched to her chest as she waited for the outcome of the ping pong balls. When they finally fell into all the places she needed to she gasped, prancing in place and tugged lightly on my shawl, looking at me with the biggest eyes and pointing to it. 

I couldn't help but laugh, smiling widely as I gave a nod. “Yeah we did it! I just gotta go find someone who works here to come get it out for you. Can you stay by here and guard it so no one tries to claim your prize before you can.”

She gave an eager nod, still doing her little shimmy in one place as she looked wide eyed into the claw machine. Ide never felt this much happiness for someone else before, I walked off quickly and found someone at the prize counter to unlock the machine and get her the plushie out. 

The man came with me back to the row of machines where she was still eagerly waiting. She stepped to the side when the dude walked up, opening up the glass, resetting the game, and pulling out one of the rotund cats. 

“Congrats, here ya go- eugh!... ew.” He sneered. From where I was behind him looking at her, I could see the look on her face fall. The speed that someone could have gone from one of the happiest moments of their lives to horribly heartbroken was astonishing. My brows furrowed as I took a big step forward between my darlin’ and him. 

His face looked disgusted, disgusted at just her. He rolled his eyes before tossing the push at her. Mumbling something under his breath that he wished this place still forbade emotional support pets from being in the arcade. I knew she heard it too, looking down to her she took a shaky breath, eyes continuing to look down like the day I met her. I understood a bit more now. 

If they can’t see her eyes, they can’t judge her. 

Watching the dude walk away I couldn't help but swear under my breath with a glare to match. My eyes softened though when my gaze returned down to my little darling. Her arms wrapped around the plush, squishing it as she sighed. As livid as I was, I knew now wasn't the time to pummel a random arcade employee. She needed some support right now and I was damn sure I was gonna be the one to be there for her. 

I grabbed her shoulder and squeezed gently to get her attention. She looked up at me, the signature sign of the borrowers, purple eyes looking up at me with sorrow. 

“Hey now, don’t listen to him. He’s an idiot.” I smile, moving a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m lucky to have gotten to take ya out here today, you’re a beautiful woman. I’m glad ya came here with me today.” 

She sniffled, taking a deep breath in, then made a strange movement, looking like she was lifting something in front of her face with one hand then moving to wipe under her eyes with her other hand. My heart nearly broke, understanding she was moving her little headset up to wipe tears under it. 

“Now let’s go play some games to win some tickets, we could get ya something really nice from the prize shop.”

She gave a nod, moving her headset back down and reaching out to take my hand, “Yeah.. that sounds nice..” 

  
  



End file.
